The International Rescue Committee works to foster communities where women and girls are free from violence and have the rights and resources to promote their own safety and self-determination.
One of the ways IRC achieves this is through the Women’s Protection and Empowerment Team comprised of 450 field staff and technical experts, including specialists in primary prevention, care for child survivors, economic programming, and service delivery, among others. Collectively, this team advances the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary for humanitarian workers to serve survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) with effective, comprehensive programming that meets the specific needs of women and girls. In partnership with communities and institutions, we advocate for and protect the rights of women and girls while cultivating conditions in which women and girls can recover from violence and thrive.
The IRC currently has GBV programming in 38 countries/regions: Afghanistan, Balkans, Bangladesh, Burundi, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Germany, Greece, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Italy, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Malaysia, Mali, Myanmar, North Caucasus, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, the United States, Yemen and Zimbabwe.
Since 1996, The INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE (IRC) has been working with women and girls in contexts affected by acute and protracted emergencies. The WOMEN’S PROTECTION & EMPOWERMENT (WPE) Team was created to support the development of holistic, survivor-centered services and the empowerment of families, communities and institutions to prioritize the well-being and development of women and girls. We seek to address both the immediate needs and long-term goals of our constituents. So in addition to offering shelter, food, water, medical and psychosocial assistance, we lay the foundation for long-term efforts to promote economic, social and political equality by facilitating the full participation of women and girls in the work of building safer, more equitable societies.
Underpinning our work are the beliefs that:
- Violence against women and girls violates their basic human rights.
- Women and girls have the resourcefulness and capacity to recover.
- Women and girls have the right to take the lead in decision-making that impacts their lives.
- Ending violence against women and girls is everyone’s responsibility.
Download our factsheet for more information about WPE programming, initiatives and impact.
